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2014-06-05 -Short Attention Span Theater-

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Posted by Bobby 2014-06-05 12:50|| || Front Page|| [11129 views ] Top

#1 My understanding is that one of the enlisted crew of the boat became and American Citizen and kept an eye on his old wessell. U-Boat crew are not like much else, maybe old US Pacific Sub types. I guess it's the nature of the job. Glad I don't have to deal with 'em.

Posted by Shipman 2014-06-05 13:10|| 2014-06-05 13:10|| Front Page Top

#2 The Captain of the Guadalcanal was Admiral Dan Gallery; he wrote a very good account of the history and capture of the U-505 (as well as the sub war in general). He also wrote several hilarious collections of his adventures in the Navy - all extensively embellished and exagerrated; I recommend them all.

Posted by Glenmore 2014-06-05 15:02|| 2014-06-05 15:02|| Front Page Top

#3 The last German off the sub who set the demolition charges and removed the strainer so the airpocket in chamber 7 would dissipate allowing the sub to sink, thought the Americans who entered the sub to save it were either extremely brave or crazily insane. The enigma codes were broken because of the capture but they hid the sub so the Germans would not know they had the codes.

The American in charge of the sub hunter group almost got court marshaled for saving the sub, quite a twist. U-505 is a great war story in many ways.

Posted by Bubba Graiting8281 2014-06-05 16:14|| 2014-06-05 16:14|| Front Page Top

#4 The enigma codes were broken because of the capture
I think you mean the U-boat variation on the code. Enigma was being peeked at for awhile thanks to the Poles and various screaming queens.

Posted by Shipman 2014-06-05 16:46|| 2014-06-05 16:46|| Front Page Top

#5 The people of Chicago raised $250,000 to help prepare the boat..

Before there was Kickstarter...

$250K in 1946 in today's dollars $3,201,222.52 (Annual Inflation: 3.82%, Total Inflation: 1180.49%)

Posted by Procopius2k 2014-06-05 17:26|| 2014-06-05 17:26|| Front Page Top

#6 The U505 was towed to Bermuda after capture. At the submarine school in Connecticut, the call went out for submariners who could read German. Somebody in the Navy wanted to try to sail the U505. The men from Connecticut said, "We are not sailing on that death trap!" End of that idea. (My dad was one of the German-speaking gobs from sub school).

Posted by mom 2014-06-05 18:09|| 2014-06-05 18:09|| Front Page Top

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